CANTON -- As maple season approaches, children and families are invited to celebrate sugaring as French-Canadian families would have done a century ago at TAUNY's annual Sugaring Off Party on Saturday, March 2 from 1-3 p.m. at The TAUNY Center.

The Sugaring Off Party will include festive activities, crafts, and sweet treats for the whole family, said a TAUNY press release.

A reading of “The Sugaring Off Party” by Jonathan London sets the tone for the event. Then participants step into the book with a recreation of the house party led by fiddler and North Country Heritage Award recipient Gretchen Koehler and her Madstop Fiddlers.

Gretchen will teach guests traditional French folk dances and songs and share the secret to playing the spoons.

Local maple producer Art Hurlbut of Hurlbut’s Maple will also be at the party to make wax-on-snow (a seasonal favorite) to share with guests.

"From the French-Canadian sugaring, music, and dance traditions that many have brought to our area, to the tapping, processing, and tasting people are gearing up for all around us right now, maple season is an important part of North Country life, and the Sugaring Off Party is such a fun and delicious way to celebrate it!” says TAUNY’s Program Director Camilla Ammirati. "Don't miss it!"

Learn more about Quebecois traditions and North Country people who have carried them on at www.tauny.org/ncha.

The party is open to the public. There is a suggested donation of $5.

This event is made possible by underwriting support from Stewart's Shops, Hurlbut’s Maple Products, and The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).

The TAUNY Center is located at 53 Main St.